1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheels adapted for use in supporting an associated tire in rotating relationship with a vehicle.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Wheels are commonly formed with a hub which is mountable in rotatable relationship with the axle of a vehicle. A wheel center extends radially outwardly of the hub and commonly includes a plurality of spokes which support a rim at the outer circumference of the wheel. A typical rim includes an inner annulus attached to the wheel center, and a pair of outer annuli. Together, the inner and outer annuli define a drop center of the wheel having an inwardly facing surface and an outwardly facing surface. The tire is mounted between the outer annuli on the outwardly facing surface of the drop center.
In the past, the rim has been attached to the wheel center by at least one weld which has been formed between the wheel center and the inwardly facing surface of the drop center. This configuration has not been objectionable for automobile tires where the wheel can be mounted with the weld facing inwardly of the automobile where it is not visible. However, this configuration has been intolerable for motorcycles where typically both sides of the wheel are visible.
In the case of motorcycle wheels, the rim has been provided with a pair of flanges extending inwardly of the inner annulus and spaced to receive the wheel center. Bolts extending through the flanges have attached the rim to the wheel center. This manufacturing process is costly in that additional structure is required along with additional components. Importantly, the time required to attach the numerous bolts to the wheel adds significantly to this cost of manufacture.